Sandoz Challenges Amgen’s $3.3B Arthritis Drug Monopoly in U.S. Antitrust Lawsuit

Swiss pharmaceutical company Sandoz has initiated a legal battle against U.S. biotech giant Amgen, accusing it of unlawfully maintaining a monopoly over the arthritis medication Enbrel (etanercept). Filed in a federal court in Norfolk, Virginia, the lawsuit alleges that Amgen has employed a “thicket of patents” to block competition from biosimilars, including Sandoz’s Erelzi, effectively extending its market dominance through 2029.

Despite receiving FDA approval for Erelzi in 2016, Sandoz claims it has been unable to enter the U.S. market due to Amgen’s patent strategies. The company argues that this has resulted in billions of dollars in profits for Amgen while denying patients access to more affordable alternatives. In 2024 alone, Enbrel generated $3.3 billion in U.S. revenue.

Sandoz is seeking an injunction to lift the patent barriers and is also requesting financial damages. Amgen has yet to respond to the lawsuit.